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Breather for biodiversity plan creation

S. Gopikrishna Warrier

CHENNAI, Sept. 17

THE time-period for the development of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), through a participatory process, has been extended by six months till June 2002.

The process initiated in the beginning of last year was to end with the preparation of national document by the end of this year. The decision to extend the time-frame has been taken recently by the national steering committee for NBSAP, which is represe nted by the relevant Central Ministries and four non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

According to Mr Ashish Kothari, Co-ordinator, Technical and Policy Core Group (TPCG), though the draft reports from some State, sub-State, eco-region and thematic levels are ready, the process to develop the national document would require more time.

The process has been designed to develop a national report through the culmination of preparation of 20 local-level action plans, 30 State-level plans, 10 inter-State eco-regional plans, and 13 national thematic plans.

The project has a funding of Rs 4.3 crore from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) handled by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). While the overall project control is with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the technical execut ion is by the NGO, Kalpavriksh. The administrative co-ordination is by the Biotech Consortium India Ltd.

The country has a commitment to prepare the NBSAP since it is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The document has to find out ways and means to meet the main objectives of the CBD -- conservation and sustainable use of biodivers ity and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of its use.

According to Mr Kothari, the process had drawn more participation from the people than it was anticipated. It has also got the State Governments into action in unanticipated ways. Some of them have started seriously considering setting up of biodiversity boards, and Sikkim, for instance, has prepared a Biodiversity Bill.

At the local and State-levels, there has also been integration of biodiversity issues into various sectoral activities. However, at the national level, this process still leaves much to be desired. Efforts to get biodiversity concerns integrated into the Tenth Plan process have not been successful.